The mid-range smartphone market is a thriving market segment. There should be no surprises there, since smartphones priced between the MYR 1,500 to MYR 2,500 range are not just affordable today. Today, mid-range smartphones perform nearly just as good if not as good as most flagship smartphones out there. Sure, you get less powerful System on a Chip (SoC) most of the time. That is just about the most compromise you get from mid-rangers though.
While it looks as though you are paying less because you are getting more compromises, in some cases, a mid-range smartphone can have its advantages over flagships. For one, mid-range smartphones sometimes offer extended battery life that most flagships with powerful chips in the world cannot offer. They are also rather good looking most of the time, better looking that some flagships sometimes.
Enter the HUAWEI nova line-up. The HUAWEI nova line-up is the Chinese giant’s most successful mid-range smartphones that sits not too far off from the HUAWEI P series flagships. The nova series usually packs a more powerful camera and large enough battery to keep the device running for days at a time. That is what you also get in the latest HUAWEI nova device, the nova 9 SE.
HUAWEI nova 9 SE
Source: HUAWEI
First up, is the compromise on the HUAWEI nova 9 SE. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 SoC. The SoC packs eight ARM architecture cores; four powerful Cortex-A73 cores clocking 2.4GHz and four efficiency Cortex-A53 clocking 1.8GHz.
Everything else after that compromise is a match to most flagships. It packs 8GB of RAM alongside the SoC. The combination should allow you to game smoothly while allowing smooth sailing multitasking all-around. With 128GB of storage, all your personal data can be stored away safely in one place.
Then there is the ultra-powerful camera. Instead of a measly 50-Megapixel, or even a 64-Megapixel shooter, HUAWEI decided on pushing a large 108-Megapixel sensor as its main shooter, more megapixels than any HUAWEI device ever had. The powerful camera is flanked by an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide camera, 2-Megapixel depth sensor, and a 2-Megapixel macro camera. Out front is a 16-Megapixel shooter with up to Full HD video recording capabilities.
Speaking of front, the Super Device capable devices offers EMUI 12 beauty on a Full HD+ 6.78-inch IPS panel. The panel also offers 90Hz in refresh rate for the smooth feel. For the snappy instant response feel is the panel offering 270Hz in touch sampling rate.
Keeping the device running all day and more is a large 4,000mAh built in battery. It is charged by USB Type-C when it runs out. At that, it charges at HUAWEI SuperCharge speeds (66W) to get it charged from empty to full in less than 40 minutes.
Price and Availability
Source: HUAWEI
The HUAWEI nova 9 SE is now available for pre-order until the 18th of March 2022. You can get your pre-orders in via HUAWEI’s official web store, Experience Stores, and official online stores on Shopee and Lazada. As mentioned in the title, the device will set you back MYR 1,099. Every pre-order of the device will come with a HUAWEI FreeLace and a bunch of HMS (HUAWEI Mobile Services) packages worth up to MYR 560 while stocks last. For more information on the HUAWEI nova 9 SE you can visit HUAWEI’s website.
HUAWEI’s MateBook series, introduced back in 2019, marks a new age for HUAWEI. Not just HUAWEI though, it marks a new age for smartphone makers that are not Apple. To be fair to other manufacturers though, HUAWEI is not the first smartphone-first manufacturer that makes PCs. Its biggest competitor in the Android smartphone market used to make notebook PCs as well.
Still, while other smartphone manufacturers have either left the smartphone market or abandoning the PC market, HUAWEI gladly embraces the market, shifting focus from making productivity focused Android tablets and upping the game in terms of a complete ecosystem that works seamlessly together for work and play. It does seem like they are learning from the biggest ecosystem outside of the Android world, Apple. Let us be honest though, it is not such a bad thing, this total coverage of the ecosystem thing.
HUAWEI’s most premium notebook for the discerning users is the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro. There is a new one for 2022. On paper at least, it looks quite special.
HUAWEI MateBook X pro
Source: HUAWEI
It shares pretty much the same design from the old MateBook X Pro, or almost every other MateBook bred to existence. It is also the thinnest MateBook device in its range. At 15.5mm though, it is a little thicker than its predecessor. It gained some weight too at 1.38 kg over 1.33 kg of the 2021 variant. The minor heft gain for the MateBook X Pro 2022 comes with some extra power to make the MateBook X Pro the ultimate thin-and-light though.
You get a slightly bigger display now at 14.2-inch. With bigger display too, HUAWEI can squeeze a little bit more display out of it at 3,120 by 2,080 pixels to achieve an impressive 264 pixels per inch, higher than the predecessor. It covers 92.5% of the laptop body, which is even more than before too, leaving us to wonder how they made the bezels even thinner.
It is a stunning display too. The 3.1K LTPS panel produces up to 500nits of light at DisplayHDR 400 standards. It boasts 1,500:1 contrast ratio on its 1.07-billion colours on tap. It also offers an average △E<1 in P3 and sRGB standards. It is not a gaming display, but the 3:2 aspect ratio display still offers up to 90Hz in refresh rate. Did we mention that it is a touch sensitive display too? What we are saying is that you are really going to enjoy this display, no matter what you do.
Source: HUAWEISource: HUAWEISource: HUAWEI
The 2022 HUAWEI MateBook X Pro flagships come with class leading six-speaker set up with HUUAWEI SOUND. There are two tweeters for brilliant and detailed higher-end frequencies from the top firing speaker grilles. The other two are mashed to create a woofer sandwich which, in theory, should produce even more powerful low frequencies for deeper, more immersive bass notes, more boom. The speaker array should also benefit users when it comes to video calls alongside four far-field mics with AI Noise Cancellation algorithm.
Powered by an 11th Generation Intel Core i7-1195G7 CPU, the MateBook X Pro might sound a little old fashioned, but the processor is still quite a powerful one. It also packs Intel’s Iris Xe Graphics to ensure that the display gets enough juice to run on full chat. Of course, we would like to see what the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro could do with 12th Generation Intel processors.
HUAWEI Super Device Ecrosystem
It is not a new device that HUAWEI released here. It is more of introduction of a complete ecosystem for HUAWEI’s many devices. A sort of unifying piece to puts all of HUAWEI’s devices together.
The HUAWEI Super Device centers itself on HUAWEI’s PC experience. It starts from HUAWEI’s MateBook devices with the latest version of the HUAWEI PC Manager. The new ecosystem does not just allow HUAWEI’s devices to share screens and quickly share files across the connected devices. It now allows each device to be individual device modules to form a larger collaboration tool. You can take up a video call from your smartphone for example and later transfer it to a HUAWEI MateBook when you get yourself in front of one.
Super Device also introduces HUAWEI’s Mobile App Engine for their PC devices. Mobile App Engine gives HUAWEI MateBook devices access to the HUAWEI AppGallery. That also means that the Windows 11 device can now work with mobile apps reserved for the smartphone ecosystem that HUAWEI has built over the years, allowing users to be even more productive than ever with their HUAWEI MateBook devices.
Availability
HUAWEI’s Super Device function will be shipped with the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro, MateStation X, MateBook E, MatePad Paper, and MatePad. All of the devices that are launched in their MWC 2022 announcement. While HUAWEI mentions that existing HUAWEI MateBook devices will be able to take advantage of the new Super Device feature, there are no mentions on whether existing smartphone and tablet devices will get the function. At this point, judging by HUAWEI’s update history, older devices might not be getting the new Super Device feature.
There are also no mentions on when the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro will hit the markets. It will be priced at EU 1,899 (MYR 8,923*) when it is available. There are also no colour options for the new flagship MateBook as well, just a plain Grey.
*Approximately based on exchange rate of EU€ 1 = MYR 4.70 as of 01/03/2021 on xe.com
HUAWEI has now spent more than 3 years outside the Google ecosystem. Since 2019, HUAWEI has launched the HUAWEI Mate 30 series without Google’s Play Store installed. They have also launched the HUAWEI P40 series, Mate 40 series, and P50 series.
Ever since HUAWEI stopped sporting Google’s Play Store too, they have been developing their own App Gallery to fill the gap left by Google’s app marketspace. The App Gallery is not exactly new for HUAWEI devices though, even before 2019. The HUAWEI App Gallery, while has been running alongside the Google Play Store for a while, was not a fully matured platform just yet.
This was 3 years ago. HUAWEI’s App Gallery has grown quite a lot since then. HUAWEI has done everything it can to push and even attract new developers for their platform. They have collaborated with anyone willing to develop on their platform. This means that HUAWEI’s App Gallery is now the third-largest app marketplace in the world.
Does that mean that HUAWEI devices are now worth a look? Should you consider running a HUAWEI secondary driver, or even a primary one? We attempt to answer all of that with the HUAWEI Nova 8.
Design
The HUAWEI Nova 8 is built of similar materials you find on any modern smartphones. You have two pieces of glass that sandwiches an aluminium frame. The top and bottom of the device features a flat taper. The flat sections are flat enough for you to stand your Nova 8 on its own – we tried.
The glass back is nothing special in terms of materials too. The device looks rather pretty though. The Blush Gold on this Nova 8 makes it feel a little more special than it is though.
At the same time, the device is built to a premium standard. The way the metallic side of the device tappers seamlessly to the display helps the illusion of a single solid piece. Even the milled holes on the device looks precise albeit some alignment issues. The only indication that this is still a mid-range device would be its NOVA branding at the glass.
The oval camera housing is a nod to the older HUAWEI devices like the P30 series. While the main camera takes up nearly half the module, it does not look imposing. They arranged the three other smaller lenses in a way that complements main camera.
Hardware
As mentioned, the HUAWEI Nova 8 is a Kirin device. You have HUAWEI’s own Kirin 820E System on a Chip (SoC) powering the HUAWEI Nova 8. It is still a highly respectable ARM Cortex-A76 and Cortex-55 blend in today’s smartphone standard.
The HUAWEI Nova 8 does not come with HUAWEI’s Harmony OS 2. Instead, it is the trusty EMUI 12 based on Android. This is also their third iteration of EMUI since losing Google Play Store.
While the iterations of EMUI have not changed a lot in terms of look and feel between the HUAWEI devices, there are differences between 11 and 12. If you look closely, HUAWEI Nova 8’s EMUI 12 does not feature an “Android Version” category anymore in the About Phone submenu. That does not mean that the HUAWEI EMUI 12 is a completely different breed of Operating System (OS) though, they are still Android based, as far as we can tell anyway.
HUAWEI App Gallery
You still do not have access to Google’s curated apps. HUAWEI’s App gallery has grown tremendously though. With HUAWEI’s Petal Search integration, the App Gallery now searches the web for alternatives or APK files of your searched app. Either that, or you access a web version of apps like Google Drive.
You can use apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, and even Instagram. They are not natively supported by HUAWEI App Gallery though. The only good news from that is that because HUAWEI’s EMUI 12 is essentially still Android, APK files works. The bad news is that you cannot transfer WhatsApp data between devices via cloud.
The HUAWEI Nova 8 does not have Google’s Mobile Services Framework, which also means it will not be able to unlock the use of Google’s suite of apps like Google Maps, for example. We tried installing Google Maps as an APK file, but it refuses to launch after.
The good news is that Malaysia is a big supporter of HUAWEI’s App Gallery. That also means that plenty of the local banking and e-wallet apps are available from HUAWEI App Gallery. You even have the MySejahtera COVID tracking app on HUAWEI’s AppGallery.
Always-On Display
Always-on display can find its roots in Samsung’s implementation of Android in TouchWiz. But because it is a function loved by users, Google made always-on display a feature on their own smartphones and eventually the function makes its way into other Android devices.
On the HUAWEI Nova 8, the always-on display is a clever system that keeps your battery life optimised when not in use. That also means that the always-on display is not constantly on. It only turns on when you interact with the device by tapping its display once.
Other than showing just time, we configured the always-on display to show date, battery percentage and other notifications. The time, date, and battery percentage show up nicely. Notifications will show up too, provided you have not seen any of it yet.
The only customisation you get is choosing how your clock looks in the always-on display menu. The always-on also displays a snippet of your notifications, including snippets of your WhatsApp, Telegram, or messages, just before you unlock your device and access the apps.
Separating Notifications and Quick Settings Access
HUAWEI EMUI 12 system, while still an Android overlay, feels a little different. HUAWEI now divides the notification bar into two sections. On the left side is the notification center, where all the latest updates to your apps, missed calls, messages gets displayed. When you swipe down from the right side, you get all your quick settings toggles. You also access the settings menu from here now.
It takes some getting used to, admittedly. Once you get used to it though, you start wondering why other Android devices do not implement similar features. It makes accessing the quick settings menu one gesture quicker.
We do have to say though that the quick settings menu does feel and look very much like what you get on an iOS. While it may not be a carbon copy of one, it still feels very much like it especially with the media player, WiFi, and Bluetooth widgets being standalone toggles.
No App Tray – Business as Usual
HUAWEI’s famous overlay of Android comes with no app tray like all of the EMUI that came before it. All its apps are organised on its home screen. You can hide apps you do not use very often, but you cannot find an app tray to access it later.
You can still add widgets and folders to the homescreens though. With EMUI 12 you simply pinch on the display and a menu will pop out at the bottom for you to add widgets, homepages, and even a folder. You can also group apps together now in enlarged folders for quicker access to the apps you want and to keep things tidy.
Performance
Modern mid-range devices like the HUAWEI Nova 8 are more than capable at running apps as smoothly and as fast as flagship device. Modern hardware has improved so much that performance differences between two classes of device are not quite apparent these days.
Call Quality and Connectivity
We solely relied on Yes 4G for the HUAWEI Nova 8 throughout our tests. On Yes 4G’s network the HUAWEI Nova 8 can make and receive VoLTE calls, which helps with call fidelity and quality of conversations. Of course, your call quality depends on the network strength as well.
There have not been any major dropped calls with the device. Even when the network is a little on the weak side, calls have come through and gone without hiccups until you lose the network completely. Data speeds may vary though in these instances. On the subject of data speeds, that is more a network provider issue than anything else.
Gaming
While the device has less power on paper than a flagship device, it does not necessarily mean it is that much worse. In fact, the HUAWEI Nova 8’s Kirin 820E is capable of running Mobile Legends: Bang Bang at its highest graphics settings without breaking too much of a sweat. The heat build up is never anywhere near uncomfortable in our time of use too.
Of course, a fast display helps very much in terms of immersion and experience in games. The games load smoothly and quickly when on the HUAWEI Nova 8. They even look pretty good thanks to the vivid colours of the OLED panel.
Multitasking and Productivity
Modern smartphones have been optimised to cope with multitasking instances on any given device. We had more than 20 tabs open in the HUAWEI Nova 8’s native browser and still keep do other things on the device without too much of an inconvenient lag.
Opening apps never felt sluggish or slow as well in our tests. At some point we were installing multiple apps from HUAWEI’s App Gallery at the same time, and still scrolling through the App Gallery without any issues. We also left multiple apps running at the same time without having to close any of the apps when we need to jump to another app.
Battery Life
HUAWEI’s legendary battery life status is down to their clever battery management system. The battery management system in the latest EMUI on the HUAWEI Nova 8 is cleverer and more sophisticated than the old system. It does not turn off selective apps anymore, but it still somehow ekes out as much life out of the 3,800 mAh battery as possible.
The HUAWEI Nova 8 on standby can last up to four days on a single charge. On a typical usage, with the device jumping between relying on WiFi and 4G networks, the device still lasts up to two days. A typical use in our case consists of some light WhatsApp texting, watching videos on YouTube (web), playing quick games of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, taking and making a few calls, and taking a few photos as well.
It also comes with a charger in the box. It charges up to 66W with the provided charger and USB Type-C cable. Most of the time, we charge the device when the battery hits 20%. In those cases, we get a full charge in just below two hours.
Display
The HUAWEI Nova 8 features a Full HD+ 6.7-inch OLED panel with up to 90Hz refresh rate. They did not mention its response rate, but do you really care? We do not, in this case at least.
OLED is known for its vivid colours that translates well on the HUAWEI Nova 8. The display is really bright, which also means you get to see some extra details when working with the device. The brightness also helps with visibility when you are outdoors.
While it produces very vivid colours, it does not match the colour standards of the newer flagship devices like the HUAWEI P50 series and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. Unless you use your smartphone to colour grade your videos, edit your photos, or any other work with accurate colour requirements, you hardly notice that much in difference.
90Hz Smoothness
The HUAWEI Nova 8 shows that you do not need a display that refreshes at 120Hz. A display that refreshes at 90Hz is more than enough to make the smartphone feel snappy and smooth. While 90Hz is nothing to shout about, it is a reminder that high refresh rate displays could be overrated.
If you are a casual mobile gamer, you really are not missing out on a lot between 90Hz to 120Hz. You see as much as the next gamer with 120Hz in games like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, or even Garena’s Free Fire. The differences are so marginal that in most cases, you hardly notice it.
Camera
The HUAWEI Nova 8 is a testament to how good the modern smartphone camera technology is. While it may not be representative and does not offer the best that the smartphone camera technology has to offer, it is not that far off.
You get a 64-Megapixel shooter that is capable of shooting RAW photos in Pro mode. In Pro Mode you get more granular controls to your ISO, shutter speed, AutoFocus metering, exposure, and manual focus.
In regular photo mode, the camera only takes 16-Megapixel photos instead of the full 64-Megapixel it is capable of. You only access all 64-Megapixel that your device can offer in Pro mode with RAW settings, or the high-res mode. You lose the AI function in either modes though.
You have more than enough for social media purposes though. At the same time, with AI on, the camera captures great looking photos with a lot of details and amazing looking colours.
We find that the most stunning camera feature from the HUAWEI Nova 8 is the Night Mode. Photos that look dark and grainy in regular mode looks bright and properly detailed. Of course, you can see that the details are softer once you zoom in.
The HUAWEI Nova 8 – Another Great HUAWEI Device, still a HUAWEI Though
The HUAWEI Nova 8 is a pretty device. As expected from a HUAWEI device, the build quality of the device is premium. At MYR 1,899, the HUAWEI Nova 8 is a compelling device too.
There is not much wrong with EMUI 12. It feels smooth, intuitive, and still works like other Android devices with HUAWEI’s usual tweaks. It feels so smooth and snappy on the 6.7-inch 90Hz display it feels like a flagship device.
It is not a 5G ready device. There are devices at lower price points that will sport 5G, which makes the HUAWEI Nova 8 a little of an anomaly in the sea of smartphones in the market. That is a relatively minor issue though.
The big issue is that it does not come with Google’s Play Store. You will not be able to work with Google Apps at all. You can use WhatsApp but you cannot transfer your chats via cloud. You do not get access to Netflix app as well.
At MYR 1,899, the HUAWEI Nova 8 is a worthy contender in the mid-range smartphone segment. Although, you must remember you cannot access and run Google’s suite of apps. Otherwise, you are getting a great mid-range smartphone that is more than capable as your daily driver, play any of your mobile games, and perform like any modern flagships.
HUAWEI has been on a roll these few years. They may have been restricted in using Google’s ecosystem to its fullest joy, but they did not show any signs of slowing down. In fact, at least outside of China, Malaysia has been one of the strongest market for HUAWEI, at least according to them.
They have started embarking into building a product ecosystem though. They made audio peripherals, they made home appliances too. They made notebook PCs, and recently Smart TVs. Now, they make PC monitors.
Welcome to the world of 4K+ resolution that is the HUAWEI MateView. This is not the gaming monitor, that would be the MateView GT with only half the resolution of this unit. This is the monitor made for the working class. This is a monitor made and built for an executive.
There is a small fact that this will set you back MYR 2,988 in retail though. It is also a little oddly shaped for a PC monitor at 3:2 display ratio. You also cannot detach the built-in tiltable stand.
Is the HUAWEI MateView the world changing monitor that HUAWEI wants it to be? Should you even care about this product? Better yet, should you spend your hard-earned money for this piece of kit?
Design
There are no colour options on this monitor, just silver. Nothing wrong with the colour though once you lift it out from the box to put it on your desk. To be fair, silver might not work all that well if you desk tip is black in colour. We do think that the matte, muted silver will look better when you pair it with brighter colours. That is just our personal opinions on that matter though, we are not professional interior designer, so you might want to take this comment with a pinch of salt.
The 28.2-inch 4K+ monitor looks impressive all around. The muted silver finish makes the whole package looks ultra-premium and professional at the same time. Its skinny profiled stand and base looks sleek and elegant.
You notice that there are perforated holes on the bottom of the front-facing place of the stand. That is the 5W dual speakers that is directly connected to the monitor. The base of the monitor is an NFC plate for HUAWEI Share, not a wireless charging pad.
The port placements are rather clean too. Since the stand is an integrated part of the monitor, which means that HUAWEI can easily keep the display portion clean and thin by moving plenty of the components to the stand. All the necessary ports are kept to the back and side of the stand. This also means you cannot mount the monitor on a VESA stand or desk mounts.
The tilting hinge is encased in chrome ball joint looking mechanism which actually looks very pretty. It looks at home at any desks that is meant for productivity and play in any home. While the large HUAWEI logo at the back is also chrome in colour, it is somehow done in good taste.
While we do appreciate the cleanliness in design language of the HUAWEI MateView, we would also like some VESA mount compatibility. The single piece design is clever, because it allows HUAWEI to integrate most of its components on its base stand. Thing is, there are modern 4K monitors that fits everything the HUAWEI MateView has on its base stand to the monitor housing itself without adding too much heft to it, and they are all VESA mount compatible. It could add a little bit in thickness for the HUAWEI MateView, sure, but its compatibility with VESA mount also means that users are given an extra layer of flexibility in their set-up.
Hardware
The large silver slab is not just a looker though. As we mentioned, it is supposed to be a premium item to sit on your desk. At the kind of price it commands, it better be.
TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light Flicker Free certification
Miscellaneous
WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 5.1
Features
From the looks of it, the HUAWEI MateView is feature packed. To say that this is merely another PC monitor for your desk could be a little unfair. It is mainly made to be on a desk top and serve as a monitor for your PC, or tablet, or smartphone though.
Your Friendly USB Hub
You get one HDMI 2.0 port, a MiniDP port, and one USB Type-C power input port capable of taking on 135W. The adapter for the monitor is a 135W unit as well, so you can technically use it to charge your smartphones or tablets or laptops if you want. There are two additional USB Type-A ports on the right side of the device alongside a USB Type-C port and a 3.5mm jack above the elliptical power button.
The HUAWEI MateView doubles as a USB hub for your PC. Thanks to its placement too, the ports are a lot easier to access compared to other modern monitors. The USB Type-C port on the side can also charge at up to 65W, which also means your thin and light notebooks and tablets can be kept charged while projecting to the HUAWEI MateView.
Dual 5W speakers with Built-in Dual Mic
The dual 5W speakers is basically just that, regular speakers and sounds pretty much like any generic small form factor wireless speakers. Because there is no subwoofer, low end frequencies tend to be a little weak. There is little space to fit a subwoofer though, so the lack of lower-end frequencies is forgivable.
Where the combination of this speaker and mic shines though is when you use the MateView for the work and social stuff. Audio from the speakers is perfect in video chats or voice chats. At the same the mic performs great too, with users at the other end of the line reporting clear voice quality. The users at the other end of the line did report that my voice gets cut out from time to time though. We suspect internet speed and stability issues, or it could just be HUAWEI’s noise cancelling algorithm messing about.
Navigate with Smart Bar
Instead of physical buttons, the HUAWEI MatePad has a touch sensitive bar to navigate through its settings. The Smart Bar, as they call it, does contribute a little bit to the clean, polished look of the premium HUAWEI MateView. The Smart Bar does allow for some quick and accurate navigation through the OSD unlike physical buttons you can barely see though.
If you leave the HUAWEI MateView unplugged and disconnected from any device at all, the display shows its own interface and home screen. That home screen allows you to go through the monitors settings and also allows you to choose the monitor’s primary input when you need to. You navigate through that with the Smart Bar, or you can plug in a mouse to the USB ports. You either slide it side to side to navigate the interface and tap once to confirm your selection, twice to back out of a settings menu when you need to. This monitor does WiFi and Bluetooth, though we are not fully able to take advantage of the two features at the time of testing because HUAWEI has not made the device available to connect with on the HUAWEI’s AI Life app at the time of testing.
Once plugged in to a display source, the smart bar is still the way to navigate the On-Screen Display (OSD). The smart bar now doubles as a volume control slider though, which is clever. You tap once to get into the regular OSD to change your settings and input. To control the volume of the built-in speakers, you simply slide your finger along the smart bar.
HUAWEI Share
HUAWEI Share is also integrated to the HUAWEI MateView monitor, as we have mentioned. It is placed on the base plate of the monitor. Still, integrating that HUAWEI OneHop Share functionality is clever, except, you need to have a modern HUAWEI device with EMUI 11 or later and NFC capabilities to take advantage of it. We do not have a HUAWEI EMUI 11 or Harmony OS 2 device that supports the OneHop NFC capability.
While we do understand that this is a HUAWEI device, their implementation to exclusively support HUAWEI Share alienates it from other Android smartphone user. It does make a lot of sense if you do have a HUAWEI smartphone to work with. Except, not all HUAWEI smartphones are treated equally here too. All HUAWEI devices that are not updated to EMUI 11 or Harmony OS 2.0 will not get access to the HUAWEI Share feature. In that sense, HUAWEI is not just alienating other Android users, they are alienating their own users who held on to HUAWEI devices that are not even 3 years old.
On top of that, we genuinely think that the base plate would be much better off if HUAWEI decided to use it as a wireless charging plate. It is the most sensible place for a wireless charging station, after all. The HUAWEI Share sensor can be moved to either the side, or top, or even the bottom part of the monitor module, in our humble opinions.
Options
We tested the HUAWEI MateView mostly with a USB Type-C connection. Meaning we took advantage of the Thunderbolt capabilities of the HUAWEI MateView too. We connected our thin and light Lenovo Yoga S730 via USB Type-C and later on an Acer Predator Triton 500, also via USB Type-C. Thankfully, the HUAWEI MateView charges the Lenovo Yoga S703 at 65W too, so that is always a bonus.
We used the HDMI 2.0 port of the HUAWEI MateView too with the Acer Predator Triton 500. The only issue is that the HDMI 2.0 connection only allows for the display to work with 50Hz in refresh rate due to the bandwidth limitation of the HDMI 2.0 itself. We could not get our PlayStation 4 Pro to work with the display though, oddly enough. To get the best experience of the 4K+ at 60Hz, you want to use a MiniDP to DisplayPort (provided) cable or USB Type-C to USB Type-C (provided) cable. Of course, make sure your PC can project via USB Type-C.
We would prefer a standard DisplayPort 1.4 on the monitor though. Finding a MiniDP-to-MiniDP Thunderbolt cable proves to be quite difficult. At the same time, there is space behind the stand to house a standard DisplayPort 1.4, which makes it even stranger for the HUAWEI MateView not to include one.
We did a wireless projection with a HUAWEI MatePad Pro (2020) in both regular and Desktop Mode and got quite odd results. The display was not rationed properly, the image looks a little stretched vertically. While that can be easily rectified by connecting the tablet to the display via USB Type-C, it is kind of annoying and defeats the purpose of having wireless projection on the display.
Performance – Satisfying 4K+, Beautiful Colours
The biggest draw of the HUAWEI MateView is no doubt its 4K+ IPS panel that will be the main point of its interaction with its users. At 28.2-inch, the MateView is not exactly small, but is probably the smallest 4K display of its type. Then again, this is the only 4K display of its type at this time projecting 3,840 x 2,560 (3:2) pixels instead of the usual 3,840 x 2,160 (16:9).
The 4K+ resolution is displayed at ΔE<2, and at DCI-P3 coverage of 98%, or 100% sRGB coverage. These numbers basically mean that the HUAWEI MateView features one of the best colour reproductions on its 28.2-inch panel at this time. It also features HDR 400 with 1,200:1 contrast ratio, if you must know.
Bright, Vibrant Colours
We had to turn down the brightness of the display to 80% from full brightness. At full 500nits, the display is way too bright to be used in a room. If you are using this in a darker situation, you do want to turn it down even further because the HUAWEI MateView can get overly bright. Considering that you might be using the HUAWEI Mateview in a well-lit room or under natural lighting though, 500nits could be useful.
There are also a few presets for the display colour profile that you can choose from. We set ours to DCI-P3 colour profile, just because we think it looks best. Images look vibrant with highly saturated colours on this display. Because it is a 4K display too, pixels on lower resolution images get a little exaggerated when displayed fullscreen. High-resolution photographs look stunning on this though.
In these presets though, you cannot change your other colour and temperature settings. Settings like contrast and gamma is locked off. The only thing you have going for you is the brightness control.
Going to the Movies
Movies and films from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and even Disney+ Hotstar are easy to enjoy on the HUAWEI MateView. Even when you watch Full HD 1080p films on the HUAWEI MateView, while you do notice some graininess a little, it still looks great because colours are vivid. High framerate films like Formula 1: Drive to Survive also highlights the MateView’s brilliant contrasts. The bright colours that are projected on darker backdrops are clear as day and sharp. Even the colourful fast-moving cars look great on the MateView itself.
… Or Edit Your Films
Naturally, a 4K+ resolution display will, inevitably, used for creative work. While it may not be the best or top-of-the-line display in terms of creative work, it has all the right qualities for be one of the better displays for content creators. If you are not into 3D work and high-framerate visuals, this should be good enough. We used the 4K+ monitor as a secondary monitor to basically scrutinise our video work. We record most of our videos in 4K and publish them in 1080p Full HD resolution. The added detail you can see from a 4K resolution display also means that we get to be a little more detailed when it comes to our work too. Of course, colour grading is a breeze with highly accurate colours. But the matte finish of the display, which is not typical for colour accurate displays, helps with video and image editing in a brightly lit room.
… Or Game, Because Why Not?
While not something that the HUAWEI MateView is created for, you can game on it. Yes, the display aspect ratio is a little odd at 3:2. A wider vertical view does mean a little more environmental detail on your display on the top and bottom of the monitor. Thing is, you want more peripheral view instead of more to see from the top and bottom of the display, so it does not make that much of a difference in some sense. Still, you can set games to work on the 4K+ resolution at 60Hz, and that is important.
Games in 4K+ does look impressive with details you have never expected before. Colours still pop in games like GTA V and No Man’s Sky. Shadow of the Tomb Raider looks amazing on 4K+. Here is the thing though, to play your games at 4K+ resolution at 60fps requires you to have substantial power from your gaming rig. Not every game will be able to run at 60Hz or even smoothly on 4K+ resolution and you can see the limitations kicking in when you fire games like GTA V up and set everything to ultra. Strangely enough, No Man’s Sky runs great at Ultra settings with speeds hitting above 50fps at times. Keep in mind that this is on a 10th Generation Intel Core i7 paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super platform.
The HUAWEI MateView – Impressive, But Maybe Not
Before you get confused with the heading, we do really want to say that we are impressed with the HUAWEI MateView. We like it, even. But there are a few glaring issues we cannot seem to wrap our heads around.
The biggest problem is that it will set you back MYR 2,988. At the time of writing, Samsung’s similar UR55 28-inch 4K monitor technically offers a wider 4K experience (16:9) and an IPS panel as well for MYR 1,399 and it comes with AMD FreeSync. You can even find a 27-inch Dell 4K UHD monitor at MYR 1,589 at this time. A BenQ 27-inch 4K UHD display will also only set you back MYR 2,699, MYR 300 less than the HUAWEI with three built-in speakers and AMD FreeSync technology too. All of them comes with standard DisplayPort as well.
If you are buying for entertainment purposes, what is wrong with a 4K UHD smart TV? While it does have some wireless features, its experience on other devices that does not support its version of HUAWEI Share is not exactly great or seamless. You are still better off with cables in the case of using the display with your smartphone or tablet devices anyway.
We have to admit that we thoroughly enjoyed the HUAWEI MateView. It looks great and as a PC monitor, it works great. Add the mic functionality and speakers that sound better than average speakers from most displays, wireless connectivity capabilities, and its colour accuracy, it is a compelling display to work with. We may not completely understand its incompatibility with systems other than HUAWEI’s own (well, we do, but we think it is a little ridiculous).
In the end, would this be something we would recommend our friends to buy? In short, no. Unfortunately, there are plenty of other far more compelling products at the same price or even less. The HUAWEI MateView, while it isnot a bad product in any way, does not feel and work like a product that commands its price tag.
HUAWEI’s latest flagship is finally making its way to Malaysia! Announced earlier this year in October, the HUAWEI Mate40 Pro made its debut alongside its sibling, the Mate40. However, the latest and greatest in HUAWEI’s flagship has been taking its time to make its way anywhere – at no fault of HUAWEI *cough*trade embargo*cough .
The HUAWEI Mate40 Pro comes with HUAWEI’s latest HiSilicon Kirin 9000 which comes equipped with 5G connectivity on both mmWave and sub6 bandwidths. It also comes with 6.76-inch, 90Hz, OLED display and 8GB of RAM. This is complemented with 256GB of internal storage expandable with HUAWEI’s proprietary NM Card. The Mate40 Pro comes with a tiple-camera setup developed in collaboration Leica. This consists of a 50-megapixel wide sensor, a 12-megapixel periscopic sensor and a 20-megapixel ultrawide sensor capable of up to 50x digital zoom.
The HUAWEI Mate40 Pro will be going on sale in Malaysia starting on 12 December 2020. The device will be available in Mystic Silver and will be retailing for MYR4,299 (USD$1055.82*). During the first sale, HUAWEI is offering up to MYR3,300 worth of freebies with every purchase of the Mate40 Pro.
The first 1000 units of the HUAWEI Mate40 Pro will be entitled to a free HUAWEI Sound X (worth MYR1,299) which is to be redeemed between 18 December and 20 December 2020 from the HUAWEI Member Center. Aside from this, all purchases will be entitled to 3 month’s subscription of both DimSum, a three-month subscription of HUAWEI Video+, 50% spending rebate with HUAWEI Pay, 50GB of HUAWEI Cloud Storage, a free e-book on HUAWEI Book and exclusive Mate40 Pro deals from the HUAWEI Member Centre worth up to MYR1,800. Of course, these freebies are subject to terms and conditions.
*USD rate taken on 7 December 2020 at a rate of 1 USD = 4.07172 MYR
HUAWEI’s AppGallery has been a little on the anaemic side when it comes to essential apps. However, the company has been busy at work trying to get app developers to bring their apps to the platform. The latest app to make its way to the AppGallery is the HERE WeGo City Navigation.
The HERE WeGo app fills in a void left by the lack of availability of a proper navigation application on the AppGallery. So far, users have had to opt to using the web version of Google Maps to get around. With the launch of HERE WeGo, HUAWEI users can now get access to a navigation app which will be able to run natively on newer HUAWEI devices which run on HUAWEI’s Mobile Services.
The Maps service will bring free voice-guided navigation to HUAWEI users. It also allows users to download maps for offline navigation. Public transit information for more than 1,300 cities is also available on the app. The cities include large metropolitan cities such as Kuala Lumpur, New York City, Munich and more.
HUAWEI users have been feeling the pinch ever since the U.S. initiated a trade ban against the company. The ban has, in particular, affected HUAWEI’s mobile business which has been forced to turn to an in-house developed Mobile Services platform to deal with the inability to license Google’s Play Services which provide the API backbone for essential mobile functions. This includes access to the Play Store and Google Apps.
